Former Australian cricket captain Steve Smith was unable to fight back tears while addressing media following the ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town.

Smith touched down in Sydney Thursday evening after Cricket Australia handed him a 12-month ban from international and domestic cricket for his role with teammates David Warner and Cameron Bancroft in using sandpaper on the ball during the third Test against South Africa.

The visibly distraught no.1 batsman in the world was inconsolable while answering questions from reporters about the controversy.

"For the pain that I've brought to Australia and the fans and the public, it's devastating and I'm truly sorry," he said.

(AAP)

"Tonight I want to make it clear that as captain of the Australian cricket team I take full responsibility. I made a serious error of judgement and I now understand the consequences. It was a failure of leadership, of my leadership.

"I'll do everything I can to make up for my mistake and the damage it has caused.

"If any good can come from this, if it can be a lesson to others, then I hope I can be a force for change."

"To my knowledge this has never happened before. I can assure you it will never be happening again," Smith said.

"I don't blame anyone. As I said, I'm the captain of the Australian team, it's on my watch and I take responsibility for the actions of what happened last Saturday in Cape Town."

(AAP)

The 28-year-old is currently the world's best batsman, and his impressive form in recent years brought on comparisons to the late great Donald Bradman. But since the events that unfolded over the weekend, Smith's world has been turned upside down.

He is no longer the captain of the Australian cricket team. He can only play club cricket while serving his 12-month ban and if he does eventually make it back to the national Test side, he will have to wait another 12 months before he is able to be considered for a leadership position in the team.

Cricket Australia's investigation into the ball-tampering incident found that Smith breached the Code of Conduct, for actions "contrary to the spirit of the game", "unbecoming of a representative or official", "is or could be harmful to the interests of cricket", and/or "did bring the game of cricket into disrepute".

(Getty)

CA cited in their findings that Smith had "knowledge of a potential plan to attempt to artificially alter the condition of the ball; failure to take steps to seek to prevent the development and implementation of that plan; directing that evidence of attempted tampering be concealed on the field of play; seeking to mislead Match Officials and others regarding Bancroft’s attempts to artificially alter the condition of the ball; and misleading public comments regarding the nature, extent and participants of the plan."